Mansa Musa
His reign brought a period of stability and prosperity and saw cities such as Timbuktu rising to become flourishing centres of culture and learning. The Mali empire with its capital Niani was established on the ruins of the Ghanaian empire after it had been destroyed by Muslim Berber armies in 1076. Under Mansa Kankan Musa (King Moses, ruler from 1312-1337) it reached its greatest extent when his kingdom stretched from the Atlantic coast to the western border of today’s Nigeria. The trans-Saharan trade reached a high point during this period and the king of Mali became extremely rich, thanks to a system of tariffs and taxes which were mainly raised in gold. He is considered by historians to have been the wealthiest man in history, with a fortune worth the equivalent of around $400 billion today. News of the king’s incredible riches spread far and wide when he made an elaborate, 4000-mile pilgrimage to Mecca with an entourage of thousands; when he stopped in Cairo, he donated so much money to the poor that it caused massive inflation. On his return, he dedicated himself to the urbanisation of Timbuktu, building schools, a major university and mosques, including the Djinguereber mosque, which still stands today.
